Chapter 16 #2
The frustration rolled off him in a wave, and instead of allowing it to intimidate me, I rode it like a damn surfer.
Nash Collier needed a reality check if he thought I would bow down at his feet like everyone else.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
He hadn’t moved, but his brow had furrowed like he was confused as to what to do next.
“Did you have anything else to say? Maybe something less caveman-like?”
His arm slid from my shoulder, but I could still feel the weight of it pressing into me, and the heat he’d created would be harder to wipe away.
He smirked devilishly, and I didn’t want to know what was running through his head.
“You know, I wasn’t looking forward to our community service work together until this moment.
” He stood and looked down at me. “See you tomorrow, Princess. I’d dress warm if I were you.
I hear we’re going to be working outside, and I wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.
” He smiled and then walked down the bleachers and out of the building.
I sucked in a shuddering breath. Shit, I’d forgotten about that. I just couldn’t help poking at the snake with a stick. When was I going to learn to shut up?
“Hi,” I looked up to see a pretty blonde walking toward me, smiling. “Is this spot taken?” She pointed to where Nash had just vacated.
“Nope, feel free,” I said.
“Thanks.” She sat down, and an eerie sensation hit me. She looked familiar, like really familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. “I wasn’t sure if your boyfriend was coming back.”
My eyes went wide. “Oh no, Nash Collier is not my boyfriend. He just likes annoying me. My boyfriend is out there playing.” I pointed to Myles as he jumped in the air and swiped his stick at the ball, stealing it away from the opposing team as they tried to pass it.
“Good to know. I was going to ask if Vicky knew,” she said, smiling, but I suddenly wasn’t sure if she was a friend or not. “I’m Kaylani Mikhailov, but you can call me Lani. And no, I’m not a friend or spy for Vicky,” she said as if reading my mind.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking her hand. “That’s a really pretty name. My name is Kayleigh Davies, but I go by Ren.”
“Great to meet you, Ren. It’s nice to meet a fellow girlfriend who isn’t a raging cow.” She pointed to a group of girls sitting on the front bleacher. They were all wearing the same navy and gold jacket. “That is the girlfriend group for the team. Apparently, I don’t fit in.”
I laughed. “We have that in common. I’m not much of a joiner.
So, who are you dating?” Lani blushed and pointed across the floor to the hot guy with a clipboard.
He looked to be in his twenties, and my mouth dropped open.
He was certainly drool-worthy, but I looked at him and then Lani. “The coach?”
Lani laughed, her face going bright red. “Shh, Khol is the trainer, not the coach. He is…yum. I have a thing for the older guys.”
“Is that even allowed,” I whispered, and Lani gave me a grin that clearly said she didn’t care and lifted a shoulder.
“Khol is only five years older, but those years make a big difference with his knowledge and stamina if you get my drift.” Khol lifted his head from the clipboard he was staring at, and as soon as he spotted Lani, he smirked.
“Okay, yeah, he’s hot,” I said.
“Right?”
“So, are you a senior here? I haven’t seen you in any of my classes,” I said.
Lani held open a bag of sour gummies, and I plucked a couple out.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I can’t come to a game and not have a snack, and yes, only a few more months to go before I’m out of here. Not that I mind it, really, but it will be nice to sleep in my room again,” she said.
I forced myself to keep smiling, but all I could think about was my old room back in Canada. I didn’t know what my room looked like here. I didn’t even know if I had a place to go to or if I was going to be forced to live on campus all summer.
The crowd erupted, leaping to their feet as the buzzer sounded that the game was over and we had won.
I jumped up and clapped and cheered with everyone else.
Even though I still didn’t know how this game worked, I loved watching Myles.
I would watch him run up and down the floor as he showed off just how athletic he was, any day.
Not that I was about to admit that to him because he would never let it go that I found him hot or enjoyed being dragged here.
“It was great meeting you, Ren. I’ll see you around,” Lani said and jogged down the bleachers. She stopped when she reached the bottom and looked up at me. “We should go shopping sometime.”
“I’d like that,” I yelled back, and she smiled. That was awesome and weird. It was so comfortable talking to her.
I waited until the crowd moved before walking down the stairs, groaning, when I realized Vicky was waiting at the bottom for me. It had been way too calm the last few days, but Nash’s little stunt surely pissed her off all over again. He just couldn’t help kicking that hornet’s nest.
“Did you enjoy the game,” I asked pleasantly, which only deepened her glare.
The girls behind her stood like carbon copies of one another.
Each with their arms crossed and a scowl on their face, as if her little army would somehow intimidate me.
“No? Such a shame. Well, I have things to do, excuse me.”
As soon as I moved to step around her, she bumped into me and grabbed my arm with her long fingers. Her nails were digging in, but I looked at her and then down at her hand.
“Unless you don’t like those pretty nails attached to your fingers, I’d let me go,” I said quietly.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Are you assaulting me again? Let’s go speak to Dean Henry and see which one he finds more offensive,” I said, and with a jerk, she removed her hand.
“Don’t think you’re something special because Nash is using you to make me jealous. It’s not rocket science that he is just trying to ruffle my feathers. You’re nothing more than a means to an end, and you will go down in flames.”
“Any more idiomatic phrases you would like to spew, or are you done so I can be on my way?” Her eyes filled with confusion. Oh, good lord.
“What?”
I knew that I shouldn’t, but I just couldn’t help myself.
“You really shouldn’t get so bent out of shape.
Your guess is as good as mine why Nash is doing this, but I think it’s because he wants you on a wild goose chase.
It certainly isn’t because he’s my cup of tea.
Let’s cut to the chase. Nash deserves a taste of his own medicine.
Then again, when you are so out of touch, ignorance is bliss.
Either way, it’s a piece of cake for him to make you lose your marbles.
But you had better pull yourself together because speak of the devil.
He just walked in.” I pointed at the door, and Vicky looked over her shoulder.
“Well, time flies when you’re having fun, but I really need to hit the road.
” I smiled wide as Vicky silently seethed.
“Catch you around,” I said and started to turn and walk away, but arms circled my waist, and a real smile spread across my face.
“That may have been the sexiest comeback I’ve ever heard. It’s a shame Theo wasn’t here to witness it. He would’ve been fit to be tied,” Myles growled in my ear, making me laugh.
Turning around, I ignored the fact that he was still sweaty and rose up on my toes to kiss him. This was the first time I had openly kissed him in front of everyone when I initiated it.
“I really shouldn’t add more fuel to the fire, but she gets under my skin with all her little barbs. Great game, by the way.”
Myles smirked. “Ya don’t have a clue what happened out there, do ya?”
“Not a one, but I still had fun watching you.” His whole face lit up.
“Then it was worth that extra effort to show off for ya.” He stepped back and peeled his jersey off over his head, and sweaty or not, he was sexy.
Mouthwateringly sexy. I traced his defined shoulders all the way down his cut abs.
He rubbed at his wet hair with the jersey, and all I could do was stare.
If ordered to, I didn’t think my eyes would look away.
A blur of blonde hair raced past me and stopped in front of Myles. He looked down at the girl who was staring up at him with her mouth hanging open. Myles glanced at me and then the girl, confusion written all over his face. She seemed to be in grade nine.
“Ya goin’ ta say somethin’,” Myles asked.
“I’m Alex,” she said and then continued to stare.
“Aye, and?”
Her cheeks flamed red before she turned and bolted away as fast as she appeared. I watched her run off and disappear into the crowd of people mingling. I turned to look at Myles, and he shook his head.
“Naw, I didn’t fuck her,” he said, and I tilted my head as I stared at his worried expression.
“Do you realize how sad it is that you needed to clarify that for me?” He shrugged as he wiped himself down.
“Figured I’d say it so there was no confusion. I have no clue who she is,” he said, and I chuckled.
“That right there was your biggest fan,” I teased.
“And here I thought that yer me biggest fan.” He stepped in close enough that I had to tilt my head to look up into his exotic amber eyes.
“Hurry up. We gotta go. You can play doe eyes with the Princess later,” Nash said, and just like that, my little bubble of happiness burst.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Myles kissed my lips softly and then turned and sprinted off.
“You gonna give it to him one of these days,” Nash asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I brushed by him. “Have fun doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I’ll do it for him if you want?” He called after me, but I could hear the joking tone in his voice, and I lifted my middle finger in the air.
“Only in your dreams, Collier.”
“I think you mean yours,” he said, and I shook my head as he laughed.
Okay, bantering with him was mildly entertaining, but that was as far as I was willing to go.
Onward to dinner with Ivy and Chantry, and then I had an assignment due for tomorrow that I needed to finish for shop class.
There was no way that I was letting Theo beat me. Spanish had been embarrassing enough.